Training

I'm starting to think my own classroom assignments will be a teach-yourself type situation. I feel as though I can handle the classroom, but at the same time it feels as though there was some great party where everyone learned the secret to preparing to teach their first developmental composition class... and I wasn't invited.

I still feel like I missed the boat even though I am totally confident in my abilities. Today is for getting ready for the coming semester.

Priorities

I keep getting distracted from my schoolwork; I was supposed to be done with Thomas Middleton a few days ago, but I'm still working on the essay. The deadline is tomorrow at noon, so I'll be done by then whether I want to be or not.

My teaching materials--syllabus, writing prompts, reading assignments--call at me and I'd much rather be working on them!

Just thought I'd share.

Mental Workload

I get the feeling that no one is going to understand the mental stress involved with teaching; sure, to start I'll only lecture about 6 hours a week to 30 students, but that number will grow in subsequent semesters. Fall 2010 could mean double that if I'm lucky. Outside of classroom time, I'll match each lecture hour with an office hour and will have plenty of papers to grade. The students will write every day; considering that I am a composition instructor, I believe daily writing is imperative if the students are going to approach the written word with any degree of skill, comfort or value.

Tally all that up and I've got 180 student paragraphs to read a week, 12 hours time committed to the students, and on top of that their major assignments--each of which will be about three pages long. Throughout the term, that's fifteen pages or so per student: that's 450 pages per semester... and if they give me three drafts, that's 1350 pages I'll have to read and annotate.

Plus there's the book-keeping aspect of things: grades, attendance, student excuses, my observations, being observed.... la la la.

And I'm looking for a second job.

A Good Morning/Afternoon

I took last night off. Emily and I watched Angels & Demons, had a pizza and a few cocktails. Overall, I feel very rested and ready to tackle the last week of my graduate career. Plus I've accidentally lost ten pounds... not even sure how.

After I finish going on about Thomas Middleton I'm going to devote the rest of the day to my teaching materials for next semester. They're coming along... but I'm going to hone my specific writing tasks and establish a point value (I'm thinking 500 points) for the class.

More on that soon.

My Assignment

I hope these posts improve as time marches forth. I'm under a lot of stress as I begin this account; nonetheless now is when I must necessarily begin this blog.

I am 24 years old and have just finished my Master's Degree program at Eastern Kentucky U. in Richmond, KY. On January 11th, my class is in-session for the first time. I'll be working with two sections (of 15 students each) of developmental composition students: at my university, that's ENG 095.

Yesterday I received my textbook for the course. It's the sixth edition of American Voices: Culture and Community, by Dolores LaGuardia and Hans P. Guth. I am perfecting my syllabus based on it as I finish my essays on "The Revenger's Tragedy," assumed to be by Thomas Middleton and on Anne Bradstreet's "Contemplations" within the context of her Several Poems.

These assignments (among other, now achieved goals) are stressing me more than the prospect of teaching next semester; I'm tired of being a student for now and feel I am on the apex of the sort of job I have desired my entire life as a career-minded person.

Time to do homework. I'll check-in later.

Ben